North Carolina Museum of Art
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Established | 1947 |
---|---|
Location | 2110 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27607 |
Coordinates | 35°48′36.7″N 78°42′10.4″W / 35.810194°N 78.702889°W |
Director | Valerie Hillings |
Website | ncartmuseum.org |
The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) is an art museum in Raleigh, North Carolina. It opened in 1956 as the first major museum collection in the country to be formed by state legislation and funding.[1] Since the initial 1947 appropriation that established its collection, the Museum has continued to be a model of enlightened public policy with free admission to the permanent collection. Today, it encompasses a collection that spans more than 5,000 years of artistic work from antiquity to the present, an amphitheater for outdoor performances, and a variety of celebrated exhibitions and public programs. The Museum features over 40 galleries as well as more than a dozen major works of art in the nation's largest museum park with 164-acres (0.66 km2). One of the leading art museums in the American South, the NCMA recently completed a major expansion winning international acclaim for innovative approaches to energy-efficient design.[2]
History
In 1924, the North Carolina State Art Society formed to generate interest in creating an art museum for the state.[3] In 1928 the society acquired funds and 75 paintings were first displayed in a series of temporary art exhibition spaces in the Agriculture Building in Raleigh in 1929.[4] In 1939, NCMA was moved to the former Supreme Court building. In 1947 the state legislature appropriated $1 million to purchase a collection of artworks for the people of
Morgan Street Location
On April 6, 1956, the museum opened in the renovated State Highway Division Building on Morgan Street in downtown Raleigh, the state capital, W. R. Valentiner became the museum's first director.[3] Ben Williams was the first curator of the museum.[6] In 1961, the legislature separated the museum from the Art Society, making it a state agency jointly governed by the state and a board of trustees. Ten years later, NCMA became an entity under what is now the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
Blue Ridge Road and the Stone Building
In 1967, the present-day Blue Ridge Road site was chosen as the location for a new building, as the museum had outgrown the Morgan Street location. Designed by
Expansion
In April 2010 the museum opened the new 127,000-square-foot (11,800 m2) West Building, designed by
Permanent collection
The museum's permanent collection includes
African
The museum's African collection originated in the 1970s with historical material from the 19th and 20th centuries, including important items from the Benin Kingdom. Later acquisitions expanded regional coverage to include other parts of sub-Saharan Africa with an eye toward assembling works that demonstrated a particular ethnic style, such as those of the Chokwe and Luba peoples of central Africa. Though much of the collection is rooted in traditional media such as wood, metal, and textiles and derives from established creative traditions, many works date from the mid-20th century and give insight into global exchanges that have taken place on the continent for centuries.
American
The museum's American art collection encompasses paintings and sculpture from the late colonial period (mid-18th century) to the advent of modern art in the early 20th century, beginning with three imposing portraits by
Ancient American
The ancient American collection features art from three distinct areas of the Western Hemisphere: Mesoamerica, Central America, and the Andes. The ancient American gallery focuses on Mesoamerica, particularly the art of the ancient Maya. Known for their achievements in science and the arts, the Maya dominated the region for most of two millennia. The museum's collection reflects their religious beliefs, sport, ritual, and daily life.
Egyptian
Although comprising only 38 artifacts, the ancient
European
The museum's strength lies in its European collection. Of the 139 paintings and sculptures purchased with the original appropriation of funds, 123 were European. When these paintings were augmented by the 75 primarily Italian paintings and sculptures given to the museum by the
British, Spanish, and French Post–1600
The museum possesses a number of British portraits, most of which are installed in a gallery devoted to European portraiture and its early American counterpart. The collection features important works by
Italian
The museum's collection of Italian paintings is one of its most robust. Highlights include a gallery devoted to altarpieces and devotional works from the 16th through 18th centuries, paintings by
Northern European
The museum's Northern European collection comprises a small but select group of Northern Renaissance paintings and sculptures, an important collection of 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, and a Flemish baroque kunstkamer inspired by 17th-century examples. The 17th-century Dutch and Flemish collections are larger in number and include works by
Modern (to circa 1960)
In West Building the museum's modern collection occupies several rooms with works by the foremost German modern artists of the early 20th century such as Franz Kline and Lyonel Feininger as well first generation of American modernists such as Alberto Giacometti. Cubist and surrealist pieces by Paul Delvaux and Joseph Cornell as well as other Modern masters such as Richard Diebenkorn, Andrew Wyeth, and Alberto Giacometti.
Judaic
The museum's Judaic art collection celebrates the spiritual life and ceremonies of the Jewish people through ritual objects of artistic excellence. It is one of only two galleries devoted to Judaica in an American art museum. The Judaic Art Gallery features objects from the major Jewish traditions—
Contemporary
In recent years major acquisitions have helped build a significant collection of contemporary art. A concerted effort has been made to acquire works in new and experimental media, such as Bill Viola’s video The Quintet of Remembrance (2000) and Michal Rovner’s video installation Tfila (2004). Cultural and regional representation has also been expanded, with the museum actively acquiring works by artists of diverse backgrounds. In 2003, the museum started actively collecting contemporary photography. By 2010, the collection totaled over 200 photographs by national and international photographers, including works by Rosemary Laing, Dinh Q. Lê, Vera Lutter, and Lorna Simpson. Recent acquisitions include Hank Willis Thomas,[9] Kehinde Wiley,[10] and Mickalene Thomas.[11] Two identical figures, each with the dimensions of 377×235×245 cm, were recently set up in the museum's garden. Their title is Spiegel I and Spiegel II. They were created from white painted stainless steel in 2010 by the Spanish sculptor and artist Jaume Plensa.
The collection also includes a comprehensive survey of North Carolina artists.
Museum Park
Encompassing 164 acres (0.66 km2) of fields, woodlands, and creeks, the Museum Park features more than a dozen site-specific works of art and two miles (3 km) of trails. The campus is the largest museum art park in North America. In the warm weather months, outdoor movies and concerts are presented at the Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Amphitheater.[12]
The museum's contemporary art program extends into the landscape surrounding the museum, where artists have created both temporary and permanent site-specific works of art in the Museum Park. As of 2010[update], art on view in the Park includes works by Thomas Sayre, Vollis Simpson, Martha Jackson-Jarvis, Ledelle Moe and a camera obscura entitled
Exhibitions
Since renovations in 2010, the East Building provides a series of rotating exhibitions[15] featuring a NC gallery, a photography gallery, education exhibitions, and at least two traveling or temporary exhibitions on display.
Previous exhibitions
- Word Up: The Intersection of Text and Image Archived 2012-11-03 at the Wayback Machine, July 22, 2012–January 20, 2013
- Project 35 Archived 2012-10-24 at the Wayback Machine, August 19, 2012–June 2, 2013
- Edvard Munch: Symbolism in Print Archived 2012-11-06 at the Wayback Machine, September 23, 2012–February 10, 2013
- Still-Life Masterpieces: A Visual Feast from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Archived 2012-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, October 21, 2012–January 13, 2013
- John James Audubon’s The Birds of America Archived 2012-10-27 at the Wayback Machine, November 7, 2010–ongoing
- A Discerning Eye: Julian T. Baker Jr. Photography Collection Archived 2012-10-24 at the Wayback Machine, June 17, 2012–December 2, 2012
- Rhythms of the Heart: The Illustration of Ashley Bryan Archived 2012-11-24 at the Wayback Machine, April 15, 2012–August 19, 2012
- Reflections: Portraits by Beverly McIver Archived 2012-12-28 at the Wayback Machine, December 11, 2011–June 24, 2012
- Rembrandt in America, October 30, 2011–January 22, 2012
- Mirror Image: Women Portraying Women Archived 2012-12-28 at the Wayback Machine, June 5–November 27, 2011
- Presence/Absence Archived 2012-11-24 at the Wayback Machine, November 27, 2011–May 27, 2012
- 30 Americans: Contemporary African American Art Collection from the Rubell Family Archived 2012-11-24 at the Wayback Machine, March 19, 2011-September 4, 2011
- Alter Ego: A Decade of Work by Anthony Goicolea Archived 2012-12-19 at the Wayback Machine, April 17–July 24, 2011
- American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell Archived 2012-10-29 at the Wayback Machine, November 7, 2010–January 30, 2011
- [1] Archived 2012-12-28 at the Wayback Machine, November 7, 2010–January 30, 2011
- Bob Trotman: Inverted Utopias Archived 2012-12-28 at the Wayback Machine, November 7, 2010–March 27, 2011
- Fins and Feathers: Original Children’s Book Illustrations from The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Archived 2012-10-28 at the Wayback Machine, November 7, 2010–January 30, 2011
- Julie Mehretu: City Sitings, August 17–November 30, 2008
- Far from Home, February 17–July 13, 2008
- Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism, October 21, 2007–January 20, 2008
- The BIG Picture, March 18, 2007–September 2, 2007
- Temples and Tombs: Treasures of Egyptian Art from The British Museum, April 14–July 8, 2007
- Contemporary North Carolina Photography from the Museum's Collection, First rotation:
- September 3–November 5, 2006, Second rotation: November 19, 2006–February 18, 2007
- Revolution in Paint, September 17, 2006–February 11, 2007
- Monet in Normandy, October 15, 2006–January 14, 2007
- Common Ground: Discovering Community in 150 Years of Art
- Selections from the Collection of Julia J. Norrell, May 7–July 16, 2006
- Sordid and Sacred: The Beggars in Rembrandt's Etchings: Selections from the John Villarino Collection, March 5–May 28, 2006
- The Potter's Eye: Art and Tradition in North Carolina Pottery, October 30, 2005–March 19, 2006
- Crosscurrents: Art, Craft, and Design in North Carolina, September 25, 2005–January 8, 2006
- On-line Exhibition: Winners of the In Focus Digital Photography Contest, Through December 31, 2005
- Shadow Boxes: Collages of Experience and Memory, August 15–December 11, 2005
- Fusion: Contemporary Glass Art from North Carolina Collections, May 8–August 7, 2005
- In Focus: Contemporary Photography From The Allen G. Thomas Jr. Collection, April 3–July 17, 2005
- Objects of Desire: The Museum Collects, 1994–2004, Ended March 2, 2005
- Matisse, Picasso and the School of Paris: Masterpieces from The Baltimore Museum of Art, October 10, 2004–January 16, 2005
- American Eden: Landscape Masterworks of the Hudson River School: From the Collection of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, June 6–August 29, 2004
- Brushes With Life: Art, Artists and Mental Illness, Ended August 15, 2004
- Defying Gravity: Contemporary Art and Flight, November 2, 2003–March 7, 2004
- Augustus Saint-Gaudens: American Sculptor of the Gilded Age, February 23–May 11, 2003
- Accent of Africa, April 6–August 10, 2003
- In Memoriam: George Bireline (1923–2002), December 18, 2002–August 3, 2003
- Art in the Age of Rubens and Rembrandt, October 13, 2002–January 5, 2003
- Selections from The Birds of America by John James Audubon, July 14–December 1, 2002
- The Reverend McKendree Robbins Long: Picture Painter of the Apocalypse, April 7–August 25, 2002
- Empire of the Sultans: Ottoman Art from the Khalili Collection, May 19–July 28, 2002
- Toulouse-Lautrec: Master of the Moulin Rouge from the Collection of The Baltimore Museum of Art, November 11, 2001–February 17, 2002
- Picasso, Braque, Léger: Paintings from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Julian H. Robertson, June 10–September 9, 2001
- Xu-Bing: Reading Landscape, April 29–August 5, 2001
- Stanton Macdonald-Wright and Synchromism, March 4–July 1, 2001
- Is Seeing Believing, January 14– April 1, 2001
- Ansel Adams, October 8, 2000–January 7, 2001
- Rodin, April 16–August 13, 2000
- Alphonse Mucha: The Spirit of Art Nouveau, January 31–March 28, 1999
- Sinners and Saints, Darkness and Light: Caravaggio and His Dutch and Flemish Followers, September 27–December 13, 1998
- Closing: The Life and Death of an American Factory
- Photographs by Bill Bamberger, July 26–October 18, 1998
See also
References
- ^ "North Carolina Museum of Art Museum Backgrounder" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ Gauss, Mike. "N. C. Museum of Art Wins International Honor". NC Headlines. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ a b "North Carolina Museum of Art: A Brief History (1986)". Archived from the original on 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
- ^ "North Carolina Museum of Art History". Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ a b c d Iovine, Julie (June 30, 2010). "Easily Accessible Pleasures". Wall Street Journal. p. D6.
- ^ Barr, Sarah. "Ben Williams, first curator at NC Museum of Art, continues to inspire local artists".
- ^ "Acquisitions of the month: December 2018". Apollo Magazine.
- ^ Roberts, Liza. "Cast in a New Light at the Rodin Garden". Our State.
- ^ Dasal, Jennifer. "And the Winner Is..." NCMA Untitled Blog. Archived from the original on 4 December 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ Doughtery, Linda. "New in the Gallery: Kehinde Wiley". NCMA Untitled Blog.
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(help) - ^ Weinard, Chad. "In the Gallery: Mickalene Thomas". NCMA Untitled Blog. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ "Joseph M. Bryan Jr. Theater in the Museum Park (N.C. Museum of Art) | Raleigh, NC 27607". www.visitraleigh.com. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
- ^ "North Carolina Museum of Art Park Fact Sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ "Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park Expansion Project Fact Sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- ^ "North Carolina Museum of Art Fact Sheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2012-11-11.
External links
- Official Website
- ArtNC Teacher Website
- NCMA on Facebook
- NCMA on Pinterest
- NCMA on Twitter
- NCMA's Untitled Blog
- A Life, Still: NCMA College Exhibition
- Virtual tour of the North Carolina Museum of Art provided by Google Arts & Culture
- Media related to North Carolina Museum of Art at Wikimedia Commons